Police Officers Prepare with Active Shooter Simulation

St. Louis Police officers huddle to talk strategy before heading out on the streets after a series of shootings. Photo: KMOX

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – What if a mass shooting happened in a place like St. Louis County?

Hundreds of police officers and firefighters will be taking part in an “active shooter” drill today in an abandoned building of Saint Anthony’s Hospital in South County. The departments’ SWAT personnel will be conducting the simulation.

Police officer Brian Schellman says drills such as this help police and firefighters from different agencies know what their roles would be in the event of a shooting.

“There are so many schools and malls and theaters and such with a high number of people, and if any unfortunate situation should arise here in St. Louis, that way all first-responders are on the same page of knowing how to respond to such an incident,” Schellman says.

He says that crime has no boundaries and if a criminal would want to commit an offense, that people would be prepared.

Saint Anthony’s Hospital employees will be assisting with the drill and playing the role of victims.

Reporter/editor Brad Choat joined the KMOX news team in the summer of 2006. The 1993 University of Missouri-Columbia graduate is a Metro-East native.
Brad began putting his Mizzou journalism degree to good use by first landing a reporter's job at...